The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1887-03-03
UNDER SENTENCE or DEATH

UNDER tENTENCLO W DLAIn
( Uader ere, 10 the midst ci battle, ho
With sciion, inioricsted with noise, W.
yelIs Of ccmrsdcs. the rattle ~ muskeiry
ibe Win 81 miries. whir of balls aud rlst
Ter q shells, tho cheers OF yic,ors, ih'
rush for position aDd spiteful revenge Anf
,he reused taste for blood and carnage 70
nate 10 the animal man. under Ere 10 ib'
frerxy OF 6ght. is no test OF courage
Many q man stands there because be 4
afraid 10 run
remem Der in The battle Of Port Repub
lie. 10 three days fighting around Cross
Keys. down 10 the Valley OF Virgiois, ~
'62. our regiment. w l.. Jackson's old
Thirty fret Virginia. was ore OF three OF
dercd TO storm and take battery OF nine
pieces, supported by five regiments OF 10
fantry and some OF the coolest, most &C
curase shsrp-shoo.crs we had met. by
come miscarriage the order came only e
our regiment. now decimated by lighting
and forced marching to 2li men.
But We crawled up through the oat field
oa our bellies. rising TO shoot, dropping
again 10 load and advance. Add every
time we rose some comrades rose to rise
no more. We neared the crest until We
could almost look down the black, sui
pherous throats OF those nine twelve
Founders that were belching grape and
canister into our very mouths,
Five times had our colors fallen, one,
two, three. four, five OF our TALES. brave
fellows, one after another, raised with the
regimentsl flag, and fell shot through the
forehead.
They bad been picked of by the sharp
shooters, one after another, those gallant
western Virginia mountaineers, as fast as
. color bearer fell, snatching up the flag
aud rising with IL.
The fifth had fallen. A seargent
jumped from Company @. to raise the
standard.
Better let that thing alone, Bill, growl
ed Lieut. Cooper. Use both hands with
your bsyonet next rise.
Bill Cooper was Pennsylvania, as
brave a man as crawled back with our lit
tie remsnt OF ia that day. After we had
reached safe quarters and were lying down
TO rest in the woods, he turned to me to
ask:
What were you looking up and down
the line in there for, Bill?
Lieutenant, was the answer was look.
ing for a chance to run.
by was / grufiiy retorted the quon-
dam man Of valor; bnt-if every fellow
in the regiment wasn't looking night at
me.
Aye, aye, it takes less courage to stand
than to run away from battle.
But l did get touch that tested me
most sorely after that, when they sent me
Through the lines" in the "secret ser
vice."
Never mind what my business, or how ]
was betrayed, and how | was gathered in
Enough that they bageed me $50 miles in.
side the enemies lines and hustled me ofr
to prison at Fort McHenry in Baltimore
hsrbor, where was confronted with the
charge OF being a spy. No matter that !
had on when captured my full uniform as
captain. No matter that at my court
martial their own officer who captured ine
testified that he did not take me as spy,
and that there was no work for spy,
when he captured me.
No matter; l was found guilty, and the
sentence was read to me: "To be banged
ss spy on the parade ground Of Fort
McHenry, between the hours Of - IN. and
3 p. m., Nov. 3, 1868"
In answer to my request that, ii they
must kill me, for the sake OF honor to give
me the death OF q soldier. they graciously
changed the paper to read, ITO be shot to
death by musketry on the parade ground,
etc.
Somehow, suppose ! did not fully
comprehend or adequately appreciate my
situation, for did not feel then. any more
than do now. that death was to be my
next deal. Nor had at sll contemplated
that result all through the trial. Oaly
the last day before that sentence was read
to me, had been creating merriment by
asklng puzzling or irrelevant questions Of
he jndgeadsocate, telling jokes during
the reces,es Of the court. in divers man
ners creating fun TO draw mirth for myself
out Of that barren rock. military justice,
Only the day before the president OF the
court. martial. the colonel of the regiment.
twelve Of whose officers composed my ad-
Indicators, asked TO talk to me in private,
~ between nan and man.
Oh course.
Captain. said be, greatly fear that you
do no, properly appreciate your present
situation.
Well, colonel, lkuow OF no man more
favorably situated to realize it. Why do
you say sof
Because, cir, your life is at stake in this
trial.
wellg
Well. you'll be fonnd guilty. most as
suredly Of the charge.
wellt
You'll be sentenced TO die
WeiIy
And you'll be hsnged or shot And here
you have been spending the leisure hours
Of the court trying you for your life 10